--- title: "Parent Screening, DNA Tests and Puppy Health Records" type: "post" slug: "genetic-health-tests-every-puppy-should-have" published_at: "2026-10-19T00:06:13+00:00" modified_at: "2026-10-19T13:29:06+00:00" url: "https://sagepuppies.com/genetic-health-tests-every-puppy-should-have/" markdown_url: "https://sagepuppies.com/genetic-health-tests-every-puppy-should-have.md" taxonomy_category: - "Breed Guides" - "Health & Wellness" - "Puppy Buyer Guides" author: "Matt Milar" publisher: "Sage Puppies" --- # Parent Screening, DNA Tests and Puppy Health Records > **Quick Summary:** A breeder claiming a litter is “health tested” is not saying much When a breeder says a litter is “fully health tested,” that phrase can hide three very different records: a puppy exam, parent clinical screenings, and parent DNA panels. Knowing the genetic health tests every puppy should have behind the paperwork is what separates a calm purchase from a costly surprise. This guide walks you through each record type, then ties them to the breeds we raise at Sage Puppies. We list the Havanese, Havapoo, and Cavapoo parent screens worth seeing, the OFA CHIC database where results live, and the current Havanese Club of America guidance. By the end, you will have a short checklist for asking any breeder, so the genetic health tests every puppy should have are backed by proof, not promises. ## Why “Health Tested” Is Not One Thing Ask three breeders what “health tested” means and you may get three different answers. It actually covers three separate records, and each one tells you something different. A puppy can have one and not the others, so knowing which is which keeps a breeder’s claims honest. Our guide to why testing matters walks through each type in depth. ![Breeder showing health records to a couple](https://sagepuppies.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/ai-image-1792368173356-mbsznq.webp) Breeder showing health records to a couple ### The Puppy’s Own Examination and Care Record This is the puppy’s paperwork: vet exam notes, vaccination dates, and deworming history. It confirms the puppy is healthy today, not that it will stay healthy. It says nothing about inherited disease, because no puppy can be screened for that at eight weeks old. Any puppy should have this record, so treat it as a baseline, not a selling point. ### The Parents’ Clinical Screening Here a veterinarian evaluates the adult dogs, not the puppy. Think OFA hip and patella ratings and annual eye exams. A Havanese needs OFA hips, patellas, and eye exams to earn a [CHIC number](https://ofa.org/chic-programs/) . These results appear in a public database you can search yourself. ### The Parents’ DNA Variant Results This is a cheek-swab lab test showing which gene variants each parent carries. It predicts what a puppy could inherit, something an exam cannot show. The [AKC explains](https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/health-testing-for-a-stronger-breed/) how DNA results pair with clinical screening. You need all three records to see the full picture. ## Tests That Matter for the Actual Parent Breeds A Havapoo is half Havanese and half Poodle. A Cavapoo is half Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. So a useful checklist is not one generic “doodle panel.” It is two lists, one for each parent, and the breed clubs publish both. Start with the Havanese side: the Havanese Club of America’s testing guide lists exactly what a breeding dog should have on record. ![Vet examining a small dog's knee joint](https://sagepuppies.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/ai-image-1792368213400-l62rla.webp) Vet examining a small dog’s knee joint ### Havanese Parent Priorities (Hips, Patellas, Annual Eyes) Ask for three things from any Havanese parent. First, OFA hips: an X-ray graded Excellent, Good, or Fair. Second, OFA patellas, because loose kneecaps are common in small breeds. Third, an eye exam by a board-certified ophthalmologist, and note the word *annual*. Eyes can change over time, so a single exam at age two tells you far less than a current one. The club confirms this in its CHIC requirements, which are OFA hips, OFA patellas, and yearly eye exams. A CHIC number itself does not mean results passed; it means the breeder *published* them. That distinction matters when you read a litter page. ### Poodle Parent Priorities (Hips, Eyes, DNA Variants by Variety) The Poodle parent needs hip X-rays and an eye exam too, since progressive retinal atrophy runs in the breed. Then the DNA side depends on variety. Toy and Miniature Poodles are screened for **neonatal encephalopathy with seizures**, a fatal brain condition, and **von Willebrand’s disease**, a clotting disorder. Standard Poodles carry additional panel entries, such as *PRCD-PRA* variants. You can look all of this up yourself. The [OFA’s health database](https://ofa.org/) lets you search any dog by registered name or number and see which results are on file. If a breeder will not share the registered names, you cannot verify anything. ### Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Parent Priorities (Heart, Eyes, Syringomyelia Screening) For a Cavapoo, the Cavalier parent deserves the most scrutiny. Ask about the heart first. Cavaliers are prone to **mitral valve disease**, so a cardiologist exam with an OFA heart number is the gold standard, ideally repeated yearly as the dog ages. Add an ophthalmologist eye exam, and ask whether the dog has been screened for **syringomyelia**, a painful condition where fluid-filled cavities form in the spinal cord near the brain. The National Breed Club’s lists get updated, so check the current version rather than a breeder’s screenshot. If heart records are missing entirely, walk away. ### Why a Cross Inherits Two Different Parent-Club Recommendations Each club tests for what its own breed suffers from. Cavaliers get heart screening because their hearts are the weak point. Havanese get patellas because their knees are. A crossbreed can inherit either parent’s risks, or both. That is why [health-tested parent dogs](https://sagepuppies.com/health-tested-puppies-why-testing-matters/) matter more in mixes, not less: each half of the pedigree brings its own watch list to the pairing. The practical takeaway: build a two-column checklist, one per parent, and verify every entry in public databases. ## DNA Testing: What a ‘Clear’ Result Can and Cannot Tell You A parent’s DNA report is one of the three record types worth verifying, and a panel of “clear” results is genuinely good news. But the word “clear” is narrower than it sounds, so it helps to know exactly what the test checked. ![Puppy paw beside a printed DNA health report](https://sagepuppies.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/ai-image-1792368238540-tundhb.webp) Puppy paw beside a printed DNA health report ### How a DNA Test Reads One Variant at a Time A DNA test does not scan the whole dog. It looks for specific, known variants, one at a time. A lab checks whether a dog carries the exact mutation linked to a named condition, such as the cardiac variant seen in Havanese. If the panel covers 150 conditions, it checked 150 known markers. A disease the panel does not test for goes unreported, and most canine genetic disorders are recessive, which makes each variant’s pairing matter. So “clear” always means “clear for the variants on that list.” ### Clear, Carrier, and Affected: What the Labels Actually Mean Each result comes with a label. **Clear** means no copies of the variant. **Carrier** means one copy, usually harmless for the dog itself. **Affected** means two copies, which for a recessive condition typically means the dog has or will develop the disease. As the University of Pennsylvania’s genetics lab explains, carriers of autosomal recessive disorders are generally healthy; the risk only appears when two carriers are bred. That is why a carrier parent paired with a clear mate can still produce all-clear puppies. Ask which label each parent holds, and for which variants. ### What DNA Testing Does Not Replace A clean panel says nothing about hips, hearts, eyes, or knees, which is why [Cornell’s canine health center](https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/riney-canine-health-center/canine-health-topics/benefits-canine-dna-testing) recommends pairing DNA results with physical screening exams. UC Davis researchers make the same point: [genetic testing has real limits](https://synergy.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/news-article-spring-2023/what-genetic-testing-can-and-cant-tell-you-about-your-pet) , since many conditions involve multiple genes plus environment. Ask for the parents’ OFA or CERF results too. ## Reading an OFA or CHIC Report Like a Buyer A health test report only proves something if it belongs to the right dog. Before you read a single result, confirm the record matches the parent the breeder named. ### Matching the Report to the Named Dog Every OFA record lists the dog’s registered name, registration number, birth date, and breed. Compare those details against the paperwork for the exact parent of your puppy, not a relative with a similar name. Search the OFA database yourself using the dam or sire’s registered name rather than trusting a screenshot. If a breeder claims “both parents are tested,” each parent needs its own record. One tested grandparent does not cover the pair. ![Laptop beside a printed pedigree chart on a breeder's desk](https://sagepuppies.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/ai-image-1792368273882-o6cc3u.webp) Laptop beside a printed pedigree chart on a breeder’s desk ### Preliminary vs Final Results and Time-Sensitive Reports Some results carry an asterisk or the word “preliminary.” That means the X-ray was taken before the dog turned 24 months, the age OFA requires for final hip and elbow certification. Dogs can be evaluated as young as 12 months for cardiac, patellas, and thyroid, but hips and elbows need the full two years for a permanent rating. Preliminary results are useful hints, not proof. Eye exams also expire, so check the exam date. A report from five years ago tells you little about the dog today. ### What CHIC Means, and What It Does Not A CHIC number sounds impressive, so buyers often over-read it. CHIC does not certify that results are good. It confirms the dog completed each test its parent breed club requires and that the owner agreed to publish the results, whatever they say. A CHIC listing can include fair or borderline ratings. Read the individual results, not just the number. For Havanese, Havapoos, and Cavapoos, the club-required tests give you a concrete checklist. Ask for the actual OFA or CHIC report, then compare each line against the breed requirements yourself. ## PennHIP, CAER, and Cardiac: Common Names Worth Knowing Breeders love abbreviations. Here is what each one actually means, so health paperwork stops looking like alphabet soup. ### PennHIP and OFA Hips: Both Are About Hips, Not Knees PennHIP and OFA are two ways to X-ray a dog’s hips. PennHIP measures how loose the joint is and can be done as young as 16 weeks, while OFA grades hip structure on a single view. For small breeds like Havanese and Cavapoos, hip dysplasia is uncommon but not impossible, so a parent with either evaluation is a good sign. ### The Annual Eye Exam, Not a One-Time DNA Test CAER stands for Companion Animal Eye Registry. It is a yearly eye exam by a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist, not a blood test. Because some eye diseases appear later in life, a current exam date matters more than an old certificate. Ask when the parents were last seen. ### Cardiac Exams and Patellar Luxation Checks Cardiac exams check the heart for murmurs, usually by auscultation by a veterinarian or a cardiologist. Patellar luxation, or loose kneecaps, is the small-breed issue to watch: a vet grades each knee from normal to severe. These checks can happen from 12 months of age, so younger parents may still have valid results on file. ## Your Verification Checklist Before You Place a Deposit ### Ask for the Named Parents’ Reports and Match Them to the Litter Request the full names and registration numbers of both parents, in writing. Then ask for copies of their DNA results, eye exam forms, and patella or cardiac reports. Match each report to the exact dog. A report for “the sire” means nothing unless the name on the paper matches the sire named in your contract. ### Run an Independent OFA or CHIC Lookup Where Possible Type each parent’s registered name into the [OFA’s advanced search](https://ofa.org/advanced-search/) . Legitimate results appear there for free, because the database is public. If a breeder claims tests were done but nothing shows up, ask why. Some young results stay on paper, so a missing record is a question to ask, not always a red flag. Ask it anyway, before money moves. Breeders like Cassie Milar of Sage Puppies put health documentation in writing up front, which is the standard to expect. > A breeder who resents your questions before the deposit will resent them far more after. ### Read the Contract’s Health Terms and the Puppy’s Care Record Together The contract should state what happens if a screened condition appears, plus any deadlines. Pair it with the puppy’s vet exam and vaccine record. Deposits deserve this scrutiny; [upfront deposit fraud](https://sagepuppies.com/puppy-payment-scams-spotting-upfront-deposit-fraud/) is common, so verify first and pay second. ## Common Misconceptions and Honest Limits ### “Health Tested” Is a Marketing Phrase, Not a Result The phrase itself tells you nothing. A breeder can say it while testing only one parent, or only one condition. Ask what was tested, which parent, and for proof you can see. Real [health testing for puppies](https://sagepuppies.com/health-tested-puppies-why-testing-matters/) comes with documents, not adjectives. ### A Big DNA Panel Does Not Rule Out Future Disease Even a panel covering 150 conditions checks 150 known markers. According to [UC Davis vets](https://synergy.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/news-article-spring-2023/what-genetic-testing-can-and-cant-tell-you-about-your-pet) , not every disease has a genetic test yet, and environment plays a role too. Clear results lower risk; they never erase it. ![Sage Puppies homepage](https://sagepuppies.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/sagepuppies.com-1781544698129.png) Sage Puppies homepage Before you pay a deposit, ask for the paperwork this guide described. At [Sage Puppies](https://sagepuppies.com) , every Havanese, Havapoo and Cavapoo parent has documented DNA and clinical screening you can review, and Cassie walks you through each result. Start the application and see the proof for yourself. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Q1: genetic health tests every puppy should have Puppies themselves cannot be genetically screened for inherited disease at eight weeks. The tests that matter are the parents’: OFA hips and patellas, annual eye exams, cardiac checks for Cavaliers, and DNA panels. ### Q2: What does a CHIC number actually prove? It confirms the parent completed each test its breed club requires and results were published. It does not guarantee the results passed, so read each line. ### Q3: How do I verify a breeder’s health claims? Ask for both parents’ registered names, then search OFA’s public database yourself and match each report to the exact dog. ### Q4: Can a carrier parent produce healthy puppies? Yes. Paired with a clear mate, a carrier parent can produce all-clear puppies. Ask which label each parent holds. ### Q5: Do DNA panels replace physical exams? No. A clean panel says nothing about hips, hearts, eyes, or knees, so ask for OFA screening results too. ### Q6: What if preliminary results are all a young parent has? Preliminary X-rays are hints, not proof. Hips and elbows need final certification at 24 months, so ask when permanent ratings arrive. ## Conclusion “Health tested” covers three separate records: the puppy’s own exam, the parents’ clinical screenings, and the parents’ DNA results. A strong breeder can show all three, matched to the named parents and verifiable in OFA’s public database. For a Havapoo, check the Havanese and Poodle lists; for a Cavapoo, add heart screening on the Cavalier side. Read each result line by line, because a CHIC number proves publishing, not passing. Ask for documents in writing, verify before any deposit moves, and treat a breeder’s willingness to answer as part of the health record itself.